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> Is Musk known really for his shrewd political skills and sharp maneuvers? He should be. Solidly Republican-leaning Texans are buying and driving electric ve

> Is Musk known really for his shrewd political skills and sharp maneuvers? He should be. Solidly Republican-leaning Texans are buying and driving electric vehicles, in some cases believing that doing so is "owning the libs". Tesla seemed like an impossible long shot 15 years ago, not just for the considerable technical and business challenges but also because most Americans were happily buying gas-gusslers and even fantastic hybrids like the Prius were still somewhat niche. At the time, not a single major car company was willing to invest seriously in building electric vehicles. Now there's gigafactory right outside Austin. It's something I did not think would have been possible. Tesla has threaded a nearly impossible needle to get to where it is in 2022.

sangnoir 5y ago
> He should be. Solidly Republican-leaning Texans are buying and driving electric vehicles, in some cases believing that doing so is "owning the libs". Could this attempt at buying Twitter be part of the same vice-signalling[1] schtick, then? 1. As in "See how I hate the same things you do?"
FerociousTimes 5y ago
All these examples are business bets and not political ones. Don't get me wrong, they're astoundingly impressive but of the wrong type. I don't dispute that he's a shrewd businessman and fancy visionary but when it comes to the world of politics, I have my doubts and reservations. I'd like to see action and results first before I can vouch for him in that field.
- TapWaterBandit 5y ago
  > I don't dispute that he's a shrewd businessman and fancy visionary but when it comes to the world of politics, I have my doubts and reservations. In this day and age you don't become a billionaire without being good at politics. Navigating the regulatory state is an enormous task even when you don't have people laser-focused on you like Musk would due to his wealth and size of his companies.

sangnoir 5y ago

> He should be. Solidly Republican-leaning Texans are buying and driving electric vehicles, in some cases believing that doing so is "owning the libs". Could this attempt at buying Twitter be part of the same vice-signalling[1] schtick, then? 1. As in "See how I hate the same things you do?"

FerociousTimes 5y ago

All these examples are business bets and not political ones. Don't get me wrong, they're astoundingly impressive but of the wrong type. I don't dispute that he's a shrewd businessman and fancy visionary but when it comes to the world of politics, I have my doubts and reservations. I'd like to see action and results first before I can vouch for him in that field.

TapWaterBandit 5y ago
> I don't dispute that he's a shrewd businessman and fancy visionary but when it comes to the world of politics, I have my doubts and reservations. In this day and age you don't become a billionaire without being good at politics. Navigating the regulatory state is an enormous task even when you don't have people laser-focused on you like Musk would due to his wealth and size of his companies.